24/09/1997
ROZANA ROSLAN has plenty to be proud and happy about since at a young age
of 16 she is already a regular with the women's national soccer team.
But despite this Rozana hardly says much and neither does she look proud
about playing for the national team.
She has a reason to be such a forlorn figure as just three months ago,
tragedy struck her and her family.
Her mother had delivered twins, Rahimah and Hajar, but they were
stricken with illness from the time of birth and passed away soon after in
June.
It was indeed a huge shock. In fact, Rozana would have preferred to stay
home and not join the Sea Games training squad.
But her father, Roslan Abu Kadir, a former Johor defender, believes it
is Rozana's duty and that she owes it to the twins to answer the national
call-up.
"My father is the biggest influence on my career. If not for him, I
would not be attending training," said Rozana.
"But I know what I'm supposed to do and I have promised my father I will
give everything I have to help Malaysia win a medal."
Rozana's two younger siblings, Nor Razida, 13, and Mohamed Danial, 6,
are football fans and they would love nothing else than see Rozana bring
home a Sea Games medal.
"They said they wanted to see how a medal looks like and I promised them
Malaysia would certainly be among the medal winners."
The 16-year-old from Sultan Ibrahim Girls School (SIGS) in Johor
impressed the national selectors in the National Schools' Under-18
championship recently.
She played five matches for Johor in helping them to the bronze medal
after scoring 11 goals.
In the State schools championship this year, Rozana scored 16 goals in
six matches to help SIGS finish runners-up.
"I want to live up to my father's expectations. It will be tough but I'm
ready to get the goals."
(END)
